'Watson is a fine historian and in this well-executed biography of one of Scotland's most famous kings she reveals that the real monarch of the 11th century bears little resemblance to Shakespeare's famous creations. Digging deep, she paints a lucid picture of Celtic warrior-king of some sophistication who was respected and loved... A fascinating read through Scotland's Middle Ages.' Big Issue. 'She does an excellent job of setting the stage for her hero with her thorough survey of the period in which he lived and discussion of the nature of early medieval kingship.' Sunday Times.

Fiona Watson is a Senior Lecturer in Scottish History and Director of the Centre for Environmental History and Policy at the University of Stirling. She is the author of Under the Hammer: Edward I and Scotland, 1296-1305 and presents History File on BBC Radio Scotland.

List of illustrations. Map. House of Alba Family Tree. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Prologue. Part One - The Forging of a Kingdom: All the King's Men; Christendom in 1050; Light on a Dark Age; Accidental Birth of a Nation; View from the North. Part Two - The Making of a King: Murder as Usual; Kings in Waiting; Macbeth the King; The Testing Time; From Death to Demonisation. Sources. Notes. Bibliography. Index.